The costuming choices in Hadestown regarding neckwear are just super interesting to me. The first notable division is the fact that the main characters all have some form of neckwear, and the ensemble, or chorus members, do not. However, it goes further than that. The female goddesses, (Persephone and the Muses) all wear black chokers. The mortals (Orpheus and Eurydice) both have bandanas. And the male gods (Hermes and Hades) both wear neckties— except Hades loses his necktie in Act 2. This is possibly to demonstrate the fact that he is meant to be viewed more as a man than a god in this part of the show, as he is called a man many more times in the second half of the show than in the first. In Act 2, Hades calls himself an old man on multiple occasions, and Orpheus compares Hades to himself, saying that he is also “a man, in love with a woman.” The Fates also warn that he may be viewed as a “heartless man”, as they sing about the conflict between his human feelings and kingly duties in Word to the Wise. The shift in lyrics and the change in costuming are reflections of each other.
All in all, the details of the neckwear and what they symbolize are just absolutely fascinating to me, and it’s yet another demonstration of how incredibly well thought-out this show truly is.
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